Sulphuric acid manufacture and apparatus therefor



E. J. TAUCh 2,300,849 SULPHURIC ACID MANUFACTURE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Nov. 3, 1942.

Filed March 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 517205? J. much INVENTOR Nov. 3, 1942. E. J. TAUCH SULPHURIC ACID MANUFACTURE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed March 9, 1940 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 ZrzzwzQ/TTZztoiz Patented Nov. 3., 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Ernest J Tauch, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, as-. Signor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application March 9; 1940, Serial No. 323,104

SULPHURIG ACID 4 Claims.

none too successful, the processes and apparatus used being rather poorly adapted to the handling of the molten sulphur. Sulphur has heretofore been strained or decanted to remove large pieces or chunks of foreign material and it has also been proposed to filter sulphur through beds of carbon to adsorb impurities. Filtration to remove carbonaceous matter has also been su gested.

One of the principal problems in th filtration of sulphur is the handling of the filter cake which accumulates on filter elements. If the flow of sulphur is reversed to back-wash the filter elements a considerable amount of sulphur is contaminated with impurities. If the filter cake is removed from the filter elements by other means it is very difiicult to handle since upon cooling the filter cake becomes hard and forms a mass which can be chiseled and scraped away from any vessel into which it is run with great difficulty.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and economical filter for molten sulphur. It is a further object of this invention to provide processes whereby filter cake on the elements of a sulphur filter may readily and easily be removed from the filter elements and from the filter. It is a still further object of this invention to provide a simple apparatus for carrying c-ut such processes. Further objects will become apparent hereinafter.

The foregoing and other objects of my. invention are effected by the use of an apparatus more particularly described hereinafter. In general, the processes of this invention involve filtering molten sulphur until a filter cake is built up on filter elements; holding the filter cake on the elements with steam or gas pressure while removing sulphur from the filter, passing a reverse ficw of a fluid such as gas, steam, or water through the filter to remove the filter cake from the filter elements, admitting water to the filter if gas or steam was used for back-washing, and admixing the water with the filter cake to produce a granular slurry which may readily be repanying drawings wherein:

' Figure 1, and

l is provided at its lower end with a cone-like casing extension 2. The cone-like member 2 discharges at its lower extremity into a cone-shaped outlet 3. Material discharged through the outlet 'upon gaskets 22.

Above the header plate there is provided a cymoved from the filter. My invention will be better understood by reference to the accom- Figure l is a sectional elevation showing an apparatus of this-invention, and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figurel, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line- 4-4 of Figure l.

In the drawings it will be seen that acasing 3 passes through a valve 4.

Surrounding the casing l is a steam jacket 5. At the lower portion of the steam jacket 5 there isprovided a cone-like jacket extension 6. It will b seen that the jacket members 5 and 6 are spaced from the casing members -I and-'2 so as to provide an annular steam space 'I. A steam inlet is provided in the jacket 5 at 8 and an outlet is provided at 9 for condensate. v

The steam space is caused to extend around a sulphur inlet, l by a concentric pipe ll. T-shaped pipe I2 extends through the jacket and the-casing I. .The upper leg l3 of the pipe I2 is open at the top 'and the lower leg I4 is open at its lower extremity. A steam pipe supplies steam or any other desired gas to the pipe I2 and the pipe it supplies water. The valves l1 permit admission of steam or water alternatively and permit shutting off the flow ofboth fiuids.

Filter elements l8 are provided in the upper part of the apparatus. These filter elements may be Aloxite cylinders'or they may alternatively be comprised of anyother suitable filtering material such as carbon. The filter elements are closed at their lower ends with a plug which is held in place by means of a hollow tube which runs the full length of the filter element through a header plate 2|. The filter elements I8 are held against the lower side of the header plate 2| lindrical chamber wall 23 closed at its upper end with a circular cover 24; A concentric cylindrical member 25 is spaced'from the cylindrical chamber. wall 23 forming an annular steam space 26. Steam can be supplied to the space 26 by means of pipe 21 and an outlet 29 permits escape of condensate.

An outlet 28 permits egress of a filtered sulphur from the chamber above the Iclaim: header plate. The cover 24 is provided with a 1. In a process for the filtration of molten sulsteam inlet and shut-oil valve 30 so that the phur. the steps comprising applying sulphur unofl valve means 3| are provided over each of the 5 is built up applying a gas under pressure to the may. be closed at will to permit successive backously withdrawing the molten sulphur. after the washing of the tubes individually. sulphur is withdrawn applying a back fluid pres- Sulphur passing through the filter elements-l8 sure to the filter element to remove the filter lflnds its way into the centre of the hollow tubes 10 ake. slurr in the filter cake with water to make 20 through openings 32 located near the lower it readily handleable. and supplying sufllcient end of a h h ll w t b heat to the sulphur prior to the aforesaid step of In the operation of the apparatus described applying the sulphur under pressure to a filter itt through t heated m o, ing sufilcient heat to maintain the sulphur at a then finds its way from the upper chamber out receptacle atmg at its lower through the pipe 28. The sulphur is maintained end in 3 00111081 p a eat n Jac et for m a fluid eendmnn by passing steam through e said cylinder, tubular filter elements suppo. ted steam spacesland within said cylindrical receptacle by a hollow After t filtering operation has been tube, a collection receptacle into which filtered ducted for a con iderable time the filter cake 25 Sulphur is led by said tube, means for admitting t filter cake t sulphur in t filter chamber allel to the axis of the said receptacle and being iorces any sulphur in th int elements l3 provided at the lower end of the heretofore menthrough the hollow tube 20 and out through the tloned conical portion of said cylindrical rece pipe 28.

the valve I5 is closed and a fluid is admitted lection receptacle to supply a fluid thereto so through pipe 30 to create a back-flow through thetabae? p u e may be applied to the heretothe filter elements. The filter elements. are 40 fore mentloned filter elementswatertogether with added steam if needed. .1: Waterthe Water being nt mount While. I have shown a specific illustrative apgranular slurry, and supplyingsumcient heat to D s and P it Wil be ndersto d that the sulphur to maintain it at a temperature above various equivalent means may be substituted for its melting point at all times at least until the those shown and various modifications may be filter cake has been removed from the filter elemade in the apparatus and process without dement. parting from the spirit of this invention. v RNEST J. TAUCH.

steam or water may be admitted at will. Shutder pressure to a filter element. after a filter cake hollow tubes 20 so that all of the tubes but one filter to hold the cake in position and simultaneopening 32 up through th heuew t b la and 2.1In an apparatus of the character described a cy indric After sulphur ha b n r v d from th lt r and means provided on the aforementioned col-. 

